Saturday, January 31, 2015

Stray thoughts ...

Evidently it wasn't botched cosmetic surgery, he really is transitioning into a woman, and documenting it for a film. Story here.

Sports make you straight, huh? Just kidding.

I wonder if Mary Cheney will bitch about that?

She's questioning why it is okay for men to do drag while it's politically incorrect to do black-face. Story here. Dykes do drag too hon. Michael Jackson did white face - so go ahead and be the first to revive the black face tradition. How dumb.

Voris is Mic'up over Smuggling in Sodomy.

I watched pretty much the entire video. See here. The Mic'up show is better than the Vortex 'trailer' because it is more serious and doesn't have all the sound effects and tricks - which is one reason why people make fun of Mr. Voris. That said, the show was fine - he covered everything wrong in the Church very well, as did his guests. I've pointed out the same issues on my blog over the years, in one way or another. Voris pretty much condenses the problem within the time allotted.

Will anyone listen? As I always say, connect the dots - the entire evolution has been documented. It's all accounted for. Do your homework and you will see. (Nope, I'm not doing links and footnotes because I've done that in the past and you readers still refute it. So do your own research.)

Gay/SSA priests.

Within the Voris exposé is the concern about gay priests and narcissism and liturgy. There is more than a suggestion that the reform of the liturgy is the only culprit here, that somehow the post-Vatican II Church bred, or at least groomed gay men for the priesthood. That's dumb. People always and everywhere want to blame the Novus Ordo and Vatican II for all the corruption in the Church - especially the gay priests and sexual abuse cover-up.

The gay priest thing existed before Vatican II. There have always been gay priests. There continue to be gay priests among the traditionalist - those dedicated to the Extraordinary Form and all things some refer to as pre-Vatican II. Yeah but, in the Extraordinary Form there is no room for narcissism - the priest faces God. Really? The priest can still make himself the center of attention - there is plenty of room for performance and drama. Likewise, the priest often made himself the center of attention in and through the sermon. And don't forget the Pontifical Mass and the cappa magna grand entrance. I'm just saying.

There are SSA priests among us - traditionalist or novus ordo. They have parishes, communities, oratories, and so on. I'm quite sure they are chaste and faithful to Catholic teaching. At least one may have good hope. Yet the Voris video, as well as several bloggers are now on this anti-gay priest thing. I've gone through that many times before. No one listens.

Bishops, rectors of seminaries, abbots, religious superiors, and spiritual directors all give the okay for men with homosexual inclination - as well as to those who, though once active, have since renounced homosexual activity - dispensations are given to allow entrance to Holy Orders or consecrated life. They have always done so, and apparently always will - despite what official documents say. When a guy gets kicked out of the seminary in one diocese, he can often find a bishop in another to ordain him.

And yes, that some bishops have said they make the best priests - that is true. I've heard it myself.

Whatchya gonna do about it? Here is my suggestion: Pray for priests. Why do you think the saints and Our Lord and Our Lady always request we pray for priests? It's not as if Heaven doesn't know about these guys.

Bonus thought: Did you know that some men may be SSA but have never, ever acted on it? That they have remained a virgin - all of their life? Did you know that some men who are SSA may never, ever have told anyone that they are SSA? And that they never, ever even fantasized about it? Can you imagine asking a man like that, one you suspected of being SSA if he was SSA? I've known good Catholics who have done that, or else pointed the finger to say that about someone they thought seemed somewhat effeminate.

Yeah, but - why are homosexuals attracted to the priesthood and service to the Church in the first place?

Power. Control. Narcissism. Narcissism isn't a new development. It isn't exclusive to a Novus Ordo priest who may place all of the focus on himself during the Mass and homily. What a naive POV! The Extraordinary Form offers plenty of face time, costume/set design, and music. The Extraordinary Form is very attractive to gay men with superior taste.

I came across a rather good essay titled; UnEnglish and Unmanly: Anglo-Catholicism and Homosexuality, by David Hilliard. It's a PDF so it is very difficult to copy and paste, yet if you go to the site and skim through it, you'll find lots of evidence that traditional liturgy is quite attractive to gay men... traditional or liberal.

So what? Everyone wants transparency - the Holy Father probably wanted it published to avoid all the conjecture, gossip, and fear mongering that occurred afterwards. Nothing is hidden that will not be revealed. Now the conspiracy theorists seem to be using this latest development against the Holy Father.

Whatchya gonna do about it? Here is my suggestion: Pray for priests. Pray for the Holy Father - and not just to gain an indulgence. Pray the Rosary every day - and think about the Passion of Jesus Christ.

This is starting to remind me of the Salem witch trials with Voris being the main prosecutor, especially with him saying such things as "if you see a priest being sympathetic to homosexuals, then you know he is one of them." Also, his inisistence that they be thrown out of the Church is very much like saying burn them at the stake. The Church rightfully is very careful about who is allowed to receive the Sacraments, but no one should be dismissed from the Church. You dont throw sick people out of the hospital. You may have to isolate them in ICU, but never do you bar them from receiving the medicines and treatment that could save them.

I still think Voris is extremely dangerous. He thinks that the only way to save the Church is to destroy her, getting rid of all clergy and prelates with whom he personally doesn't agree.

Not long ago I came upon a blog post by a guy who attended Sunday Mass in another town while he was traveling - he complained about the Mass and the priest saying he had to be gay - he didn't know for sure - never met the guy before. At the very least that amounts to rash judgement.

Unfortunately, saying, "if you see a priest being sympathetic to homosexuals, then you know he is one of them" happens to be one reason why some priests are unwilling to push for a Courage chapter in their diocese, and it helps explain why Courage is not always welcomed in a diocese. (Aside from the fact it is more PC to deal with the issue along the New Ways Ministry model.) When I was actively seeking out priests to support or work to establish a chapter in my diocese, no one was willing to get involved - for that exact reason: "if you see a priest being sympathetic to homosexuals, then you know he is one of them." It wasn't until Archbishop Flynn came along and established a chapter here and assigned a priest to be spiritual director, that the group took off.

Veritatis Splendor

About Me

... My idea of what I am is falsified by my preoccupation about what I do. And my illusions about myself are bred by contagion from the illusions of other men. We all seek to emulate one anothers imagined greatness....If I do not know who I am, it is because I think I am the sort of person everyone around me wants me to be. I have asked myself whether I wanted to become what everybody else seems to want to become... only to realize that I do not admire what everyone else seems to admire. I have only thus begun to live after all... But it is very late. - Adapted from a quote by Thomas Merton

Holy Face of Jesus

Show us your face and we shall be saved. "Each soul is the object of My special love. That is why I am so grateful to those who are resourceful and bringing back sinners to Me. Keep this in mind then. I gave My life for them in the most atrocious torture, for these poor beloved ones. A humble repentance, and they are already on My heart. So speak gently to them. Speak with tenderness. A brusque remark could drive them farther away." - He and I

Prayer to St. Michael

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the malice and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.